Tag: decor

I have to be honest, you guys, my husband and I both working from home isn’t always easy. Between me constantly barging into his office to show him cute animal videos and him complaining that the wifi is too slow or cutting out (probably from all the animal video watching), we tend to get a little annoyed with the situation at times.

BUT at least we’ve found a solution to one of our problems! Thanks to the eero wifi system our internet troubles have been remedied. Oh, and setup was a breeze!

Now we’re able to enjoy faster and less congested internet in every room. Even though we live in a two bedroom apartment weak connection from room to room was always an issue. Especially running two computers, streaming devices, and our phones. This tri-band router is already 10x better than any other router we’ve had in the past, but the beacons are what makes this system special.

The eero beacons easily plug in to outlets in whichever room you need a little internet signal boost. Even the kitchen! They’re portable and require no messy wiring. Just plug them right in. Bonus points, they double as nightlights. I don’t know much about the tech aspects, but I do know it’s working for us.

More bonus points for being pretty. From an aesthetic perspective I love the sleek white design. Traditional routers can be clunky and tricky to disguise, but the eero doesn’t need to be hidden. It’s almost undetectable and fits right in with any room. It really is the total package. Can more electronic devices be like this, please?

Are you ready to order yours yet? You can get free overnight shipping when you use the promo code “MELODRAMA”!

Thanks for sponsoring this post and creating an awesome solution to our internet woes, eero!

You guys, I can’t believe it’s already been 4 months since we moved to Palm Springs! We’re still really happy with our decision to move, even though the daily temps have been reaching the 120s. We’ve been loving life here and have been enjoying everything our new little home has to offer. Overall I’m really happy with the entire experience.

Over the past few months I’ve often been asked “What made you decide to move?” and the honest answer is “It just felt right.” Seriously! We toyed with the idea of moving for awhile, but when our lease in LA was ending it seemed like the perfect time. I decided to start an online search and with the help of a friend immediately found the perfect listing on ForRent.com. It was so easy to find the perfect place by simply searching our key requirements (pet friendly, pool, washer/dryer, hard floors, etc) on the site. Within a week our lease was signed and we were ready to move in. Easy as pie!

It has everything we searched for including great light, hardwood floors, pool, pet-friendly, and an upgraded all-white kitchen. All ready and waiting for us.

That’s the great thing about renting in my opinion. If you’ve followed this blog for awhile you’ll know that I’ve enjoyed renting and have shared clever ways I decorate my rentals. I’m a big advocate for not feeling the pressure to purchase right away. One day I do plan on owning a home, but for right now I’ve adopted ForRent.com’s approach which is “Rent your home. Own your life.”

Here are some honest reasons why I prefer to rent and how it has been beneficial to my lifestyle:

Less long term commitment. Listen you guys, I don’t know where I want to settle down just yet. I don’t want to buy a home and then have to deal with what to do with it if I decide I want to move to a new city or state. I like knowing I have the freedom to up and move wherever my heart takes me. I’m not ready to own a home until I know I’m ready to commit to one city. Buying a home to me is kind of like entering a marriage, and right now I’m happy with my RENTlationship, if you catch my drift. If the mood ever strikes again I can just sign on to ForRent.com and find another apartment of my dreams in my desired location.

Freedom and less responsibility. I like knowing that if something breaks (and it’s not my fault of course), I’m not responsible for the cost of repairing it. If the AC goes out, oven stops working, washer breaks, sink leaks – it’s all taken care of by a knowledgeable maintenance person at no cost to us! That’s luxury living to me, my friends. Less stress = happy me.

Amenities, of course. We wanted a pool, in-unit laundry, upgraded kitchen appliances, and a place to entertain our guests outdoors. We were able to find all of that ready and waiting for us! All inclusive, baby!

I can go on, but for these reasons specifically I truly believe that renting can be an enjoyable and beneficial experience. It has been for me! And thanks to ForRent.com it was also an easy one.

Stay tuned for an updated home tour and more renter-friendly decorating projects!

I finally did something I’ve been wanting to do for years, but didn’t feel like it was worth it in my last apartment. I installed bathroom wallpaper!

As you probably know I’m a renter, so many of my projects have to be temporary. That’s why I decided to look into peel and stick wallpaper options. There’s such a great selection out there, but when I found this botanical print from Tempaper I was smitten!

Turns out installing this type of wallpaper isn’t as daunting as it seems. The paper is super durable and forgiving, allowing you to adjust and re-position as needed to get everything lined up and perfect. This is great news because bathrooms can be especially tricky. Working your way around a toilet can be a big pain in the ass. No pun intended (zing!).

The first thing you need to do is measure your wall. By the way, Tempaper has a cool calculator that helps you determine how much paper you need. I only needed one roll for this wall and had some to spare. Please note that this kind of paper won’t adhere well to textured or matte walls. Eggshell, Semi-gloss, or gloss paint works best. Bathrooms usually have semi gloss paint, so you should be good.

Next, pre-cut the lengths you need. This makes your life so much easier. Be sure to line up the pattern with each new piece you cut.

Remove any toilet paper holders or towel racks that might get in the way. Outlets are fine, you can just use a razor to cut around them later.

I did this entire job alone because there’s just not enough room in my tiny bathroom for this to be a two person job. If you have room for help, it’ll make the job easier, but if its just you don’t worry, you can do it. As you can see I could barely fit the step ladder.

Now the real fun starts. The first piece is the trickiest because you need to get it on there straight, that way all the following pieces line up. Use the wall corner and ceiling (and a level if you have one) as your guide and you’ll be fine.

As you can see I didn’t measure or pre-cut the window section. Just simply go around when you’re done and trim around any windows, outlets, and edges with a razor blade. Just keep lining up each piece at the side seams and use a Tempaper squeegee to push out any air bubbles and smooth it out.

And that’s it! If you’re wondering how well this paper might hold up in a bathroom, I’ll just say I took a steamy shower about an hour after I was done and no seams or edges came away from the wall. The paper is also non-porous, so it seems it’ll hold up to moisture well.

I really love how much life it brings into this small room. I originally wanted to try to do the whole room, but I think the accent wall approach is actually perfect for in here.

I love pink and green together so I added pink and coral colored towels and rugs and a flamingo shower curtain.

Major mid-century Palm Springs vibes, right? Now I just need to find some art work and make a valance for that window (stay tuned for that) and it’ll be complete!

Special thanks to Tempaper for being kind enough to provide product for this project. As always, all opinions are genuine and my own.

When I first found out I’d be moving into a new place I immediately started shopping for new rugs. Rugs to me are the foundation of every room and are the best trick for defining spaces in an open floorplan, which my current space has.

I had my mind set on a few criteria when shopping for a dining room rug. First, it needed to be round, because my dining table is round and my dining room is very square. Second, I wanted something colorful. And lastly, I wanted it to fit in with my mid-century inspired decor.

I ended up picking 5 contenders from RugsUSA. I like RugsUSA because their site is easy to search, they have a great selection, and they always have awesome sales.

I fell in love with this at first sight. It has both a great pattern and color and I love the the detail on the edge. I also like that the light parts aren’t white, and will be easier to maintain and keep looking clean and pristine. I thought this would be perfect to anchor my white tulip table.

ANDDDD that’s the one I chose!

It’s exactly what I was hoping for. I even lucked out and found some vintage bucket chairs with matching orange seats!See how the pedestal fits perfectly in the middle of the rug? Yessss!

When we were planning our road trip a couple of months ago and decided to stop in Austin I knew I wanted to stay at the Lone Star Court. It has a mid-century, rustic, Texan theme that I just had to see for myself.

Lone Star Court did not disappoint. As soon as we pulled we were greeted by a neon sign and a 1950s Roadmaster.

The lobby was warm and inviting, decked in leather and hides, with western memorabilia displayed on the mantle and shelves. A turntable played old school country records which felt very “Welcome to Texas”. This room seemed like a great place to hang out on such a dreary overcast day but I couldn’t wait to make it to my room.

The pathways are lined with orange rockers and aqua doors, one of my favorite retro color combinations everrrr. This sight made me so happy!

The suite we stayed in was the most perfect place to kick my feet up after a loonnnng day. The living room area had a comfy mid-century style couch and a television, which is all I really want in life. A sliding wood door separates the two rooms.There was also a little dining table surrounded by Eames style molded plastic chairs that was covered in fairly priced mini bar snacks. The good stuff even!

It also had a SMEG refrigerator with more snacks and drinks – from water to wine and spirits. There was an excellent selection in there, which I promptly took part in before our dinner at The Water Trough (the hotel’s on-site restaurant.)My favorite part about this room was probably the bathroom though. You’ll see why.This shower and claw foot tub saved my lifeeee! It was just the thing I needed after a 9 hour drive.Plus how pretty is it?! I love the penny tile floor and black and white color scheme.Clean, crisp, white sheets and a fluffy mattress! This bed felt like heaven! The grounds of the hotel have a few places to eat- The Water Trough, a bar and sit down spot, and The Feed Store, a food truck with quick bites. The grounds also have a ton of places to hang out around firepits and a pool.Lone Star Court is conveniently located next to a mall and lots of shops and restaurants, but when you’re in the court you kind of feel like you’re in their little world. One where you can relax in rocking chairs and drink a cocktail out of a mason jar while listening to the sounds of country western.If you want retro vibes with tons of modern conveniences, check out Lone Star Court during your next visit to Austin.

As I pack up each room for the move I’m reminded of how many faces each one has had over the years, and how we started out here with literally only an air mattress and a laptop. I worked hard to make this apartment feel like our own home and did every thing I could to personalize it within the limits allowed. In the beginning I worked with what I had and could afford, which wasn’t much, and slowly improved each room over the years and brought in new and better things to make it what it is today. I had fun doing it and I’m really proud of what I’ve done and been able to share with you all since the blog started.

I thought it would be fun to take a little look back through the years. Each rooms has looked even more different than what you’ll see below, but this is what I could find on my Instagram and photo archives.

The living room and dining room have always been the main focus. It’s where we spend the most time and really the only room people see when they come over. It started out with ugly paint and carpet (the floors were eventually changed by management) and eventually turned into a bright and spacious feeling room. It was even featured in Better Homes and Gardens!

As you can see I flipped the entire layout last year.

The dining room has had a few different lives too. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Even the front door got a makeover a couple of times!

And lastly, the bedroom. I went from garden grandma chic vibes to tropical resort vibes.

I’ve had a lot of fun living here and sprucing this place up, but I’m excited for something new!